Humphrey said he checked conditions before leaving at 5 a.m. Sunday. But within hours, he ran into an unexpected snowstorm.

"It was snowing. Everything -- raining, snowing," he said. "I was wet already, five hours into the hike."

Thirteen miles into the hike, Humphrey made an emergency phone call about 9 p.m. By then, he said, he was already starting to suffer from hypothermia.

Three and a half more hours went by, and Humphrey started sleeping standing up, using trees and his poncho for protection. He had left his Army Ranger sleeping bag in his car.

Fish and Game officials said the experience should serve as a warning to others.

“Down at the trailhead it can be relatively warm and decent conditions – fairly dry with no snow – but in a port period of time they can be in significant snow depth and icing conditions,” said Capt. John Wimsatt of New Hampshire Fish and Game.

Fish and Game officers said they don’t want to discourage people from hiking right now, but people need to be prepared to spend the night and have gear to navigate through the rough terrain and ice.

“There’s actually as much as 2 feet at the summits and parts of the White Mountains right now,” Wimsatt said.

There have been three rescues in a week’s time, officials said.

Humphrey said his saving grace were the layers of clothing he wore on the hike.

Thirty-two hours after he started his hike, a rescue team assisted by a U.S. Army National Guard helicopter finally found him.

"And they saw me, and they said, 'Did you call for an emergency?' and I said, 'Yes,'" Humphrey said. "And right away, they said, 'We got him.'"

Climbing 4,000-foot mountains is a regular pastime for Humphrey. He said he plans to keep hiking, but he may hold off until the weather really warms up. He also said he'll likely bring someone next time.